Recent rallies in Perth and across the country against gender-based violence serve as a demonstration of the level of community concern about the issue.
Recent rallies in Perth and across the country against gender-based violence serve as a demonstration of the level of community concern about the issue.
They also heighten the pressure on state and national governments to drive action on domestic, family, and sexual violence.
Reports of family-related violence have grown to an alarming extent in Western Australia, with 12,445 common assaults and 7,828 serious assaults reported to WA Police in 2023.
This represents an increase of nearly 50 per cent since 2019 and 11 per cent in the past year.
The problem is especially acute in regional areas of the state.
If we account for relative population size, the rate of reports of serious family assaults in regional WA is 3.7 times higher than in metropolitan Perth, and common assaults in regional areas are running at triple the rate for Perth.
And this is the tip of the iceberg.
Research shows up to three quarters of intimate partner violence goes unreported and untreated.
And there is compelling evidence that family and domestic violence imposes significant economic costs on the Australian community in terms of health and justice system costs, lost productivity, missed opportunities and, tragically, lost lives.
By one estimate from the Commonwealth Department of Social Services, the national cost of violence against women was estimated at $13.6 billion in 2021-22.
I must admit to feeling conflicted in even referencing the economic impact of gender-based violence, given how little it matters against the overriding concerns for women’s lives and their safety.
The greatest costs by far are borne by victim-survivors of family and domestic violence, and the children who grow up in its shadow.
More needs to be done to provide victim-survivors with safety in reporting, and to support women and children fleeing abusive and controlling relationships.
At the national level, the federal government announced $925.2 million over five years in financial support towards permanently establishing the Leaving Violence Program.
The program provides victim-survivors with bespoke financial support of up to $1,500 in cash and $3,500 in goods and services for up to 12 weeks, alongside referrals to support pathways, safety planning, and risk assessment.
In WA, Premier Roger Cook convened a Family and Domestic Violence Taskforce in September 2023.
Informed by advice from the taskforce, the premier and Child Protection and Domestic Violence Minister Sabine Winton announced additional funding of $96.4 million ahead of the 2024-25 state budget on a package of measures to tackle the growing problem of family violence in WA.
This latest consultation comes after work towards the state’s first Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Strategy started in November 2021.
The release of the strategy is eagerly anticipated. The reference group has met a total of five times between June 2022 and November 2023, with further meetings planned over the course of 2024.
There has been a demonstrated commitment from governments to addressing the issue of gender-based violence, but the numbers don’t lie.
This is a national crisis that requires urgent and strong action.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese admitted as much at last month’s Canberra rally against domestic violence.
Let’s hope the government continues to accelerate the pace of reform that’s so urgently needed to attack the scourge of family, domestic and gender-based violence in Australia.
And not just in the support provided to victim-survivors, essential as they are, but also to address the root causes of gender-based violence.
The rollout of crisis response measures, whether at state or national level, should not reduce the crushing imperative for action to drive cultural change.
What’s needed is a fundamental change in societal attitudes towards women and girls, along with strong, coordinated strategies related to public education, prevention, early intervention, and recovery and healing among people who have experienced family, domestic or sexual violence.
• Professor Alan Duncan is director of the Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre
